Front And Centre a possible for Stakes

FRONT AND CENTRE may attempt to extend her unbeaten run to five in the Main Chance Farms Paddock Stakes a fortnight on Saturday.

Brett Crawford, who was winning his second Cape Fillies Guineas, said: “I want to see how she comes out of Saturday’s race but I have nominated her for the Paddock Stakes where she would have the three-year-old allowance.

“There is also the Majorca but whether she does both or just one I’m not sure at this stage.”

This was the first classic victory for Ridgemont and was greeted with understandable delight by the Kieswetter family. “Winning a classic is the pinnacle and it’s what we are breeding horses for,” said Wayne while wife Belinda (who gave the filly her unusual name because the dam is called Alignment) added: “It’s like winning a gold medal at the Olympics.”

Wayne Kieswetter has made his fortune out of whisky but he has had to build up his racing empire with resources that are small beer compared with his mega rich rivals in South Africa, let alone the oil plutocracy in the Arab world.

But he has won respect and admiration for the quiet and effective way he has gone about everything, employing top class people who know the job, and his purchase of Highlands was surely a master stroke.

The stud not only bred Front And Centre but also stands her sire Dynasty.

Clouds Unfold

Clouds Unfold, who started favourite but finished only third, could drop in trip. “I’m not sure that a mile isn’t a bit far for her, or at least doesn’t enable her to show her true ability,” said Candice Bass-Robinson.

Aldo Domeyer, who rode her, has been suspended for a week starting on Thursday for the interference he caused when switching out for a run two furlongs from home – Santa Clara (fifth), Golden Chance (sixth), Ghaalla (eighth) and Coral Bay (tenth) all suffered while the disappointing Temple Grafin (11th) was found to be not striding out on her left fore.

Kenilworth has been criticised for poor crowds and lack of atmosphere on Guineas days in recent seasons but not this time.

Entertainments supremo Clinton Theys brought in the Barn market with which he had such success at Durbanville and added Santa Claus, teenage singers and some 400 lucky dips while the Pocket Power room - where the racing aficionados gather - was packed out.